NDP leader Andrea Horwath says the provincial government has lost its focus, particularly when it comes to small urban and rural municipalities.
Horwath was the guest speaker this morning at the OSUM conference in Goderich.
She maintains that cutting back on health care funding and closing schools severely affects rural communities. And Horwath argues things, such as declining enrollment, are symptoms of a bigger problem.
"As we continue to erode those opportunities, and erode those supports, as we continue to allow schools to close, and hospitals to close, and take away the glue that keeps these communities strong, then we will continue to see a downwards spiral," says Horwath.
The provincial NDP leader says in the end, closing schools and reducing the role of hospitals in a community only discourages people from moving into a community. She adds that cuts to other areas of health care are happening at a time when an aging population is making greater demands on the system.
"So at the very time that we have these pressures the government is pulling back on funding for hospitals and that's a recipe for disaster. 1,200 nurses since 2015 have been laid off," says Horwath.
Horwath says the government needs to take a look at small-town Ontario long-term and build communities up rather than knock them down.
